Forage Harvester Jaguar 960

Description and technical data

The specifications of the tested Claas Jaguar 960 forage harvester are listed in Table 2. The Claas Orbis 900 header with 12 rows (9 m working width) with four large and four small gathering rotors was used in the DLG test. Figures 2 and 3 show the chopping rotors used one after the other on the test machine.

The DLG partial test “Functional test in silage maize” applies to self-propelled forage harvesters (SFH) put to a field test. For this purpose, different test variants are carried out on selected silage maize areas that are as homogeneous as possible at standard driving speeds and chop length settings (4 mm, 7 mm, 12 mm). In the DLG functional test, the base settings on the forager are made on site and to prevailing harvest conditions. The tests focus on the overall machine efficiency. This is determined by measuring its throughput (t/h) and specific fuel consumption (l/t). Accompanying analyses are also conducted to describe the technical chop quality of the crop produced at two different dry matter content levels (27 % DM to 32 % DM and 37 % DM to 43 % DM).

Throughput

The throughput capacity of the forager is determined for all three required chop lengths. In each test run, the forager fills a representative number of trailers while the filling time is recorded. Then the harvested quantities are weighed and the throughput [t FM/h] as realized in the prevailing test conditions is determined.

Fuel consumption

In the test, fuel consumption [l/h] is measured as the forager is filling the trailer running alongside using suitable, external and calibrated measuring technology or by reading out the CAN bus data. In the latter case, the CAN bus data is verified in advance by carrying out reference measurements using suitable, external measuring technology.

Specific fuel consumption per tonne of harvested material

The throughputs [t FM/h] and fuel rates [l/h] measured in each test version are used to compute the specific fuel rates per tonne of harvested crop [l/t FM].

Technical quality of chop

The technical quality of chop is determined by sampling the material as it flows from the spout. This is done by means of the DLG sampler (see Figure 5) in each of the test versions. These samples are then used to obtain representative sub-samples for determining the dry mass content, the particle size distribution and the level of kernel processing.

Moisture content

The moisture content is determined by weighing the material into smaller samples, deep freezing and storing these until 
the field trials are completed. Then moisture is determined with the oven-drying method. Another quick method for 
determining the moisture contents is the field are NIRS sensors, the accuracy of which was verified and found to be sufficient by the DLG before these tests.

Particle size distribution

The particle size distribution is carried out using the DLG cascade sieve system. For sieving silage maize, the DLG cascade sieve is equipped with the sieve set “33 mm – 19 mm – 13 mm – 8 mm – 5 mm – 3 mm – remainder” (round hole sieves). If a weight fraction of more than 5 % is found in the sieve fraction  < 3 mm (= remainder = “fine fraction”), the sample is additionally re-sieved with the 1.18 mm sieve in the sieve tower and the proportion of “fine fraction” (< 1.18 mm) is also determined. This fine fraction is not to account for more than 3 % of the total sample.

Throughput and fuel economy

The test was carried out in Hungary in September 2023. During the measurement, the dry matter contents of the crop measured with the NIR sensor on the forager to determine throughput and fuel consumption ranged from 29.3 % to 35.0 %. Growth heights in the test averaged 3.15 m (“Konsens” variety from KWS). 
 

Table 4: Throughput and fuel economy

As the theoretical chop length increased from 4 mm to 7 mm, the fresh mass  throughput increased from 209 to 233 tonnes of fresh mass per hour. 

As the chop length increased from 7 mm to 12 mm, there was a further increase in throughput by 3 tonnes per hour to 236 tonnes of fresh mass per hour. As the chop length increased from 4 mm to 7 mm, the specific throughput [t FM/kWh] increased from 0.43 to 0.49 tonnes FM/kWh and remained at this level for a chop length of 12 mm (Figures 6 and 7). 

The fuel consumption rates of 111 litres per per operating hour were unchanged for all pre-set chop lengths. Therefore, the specific fuel consumption tends to drop when throughput increases. This lies between 0.47 and 0.53 litres per tonne of harvested fresh mass - which is low on the whole (Figure 8).
 

Technical quality of chop

The test runs for determining the technical quality of chop were also carried out on test fields in Hungary in September 2023. Dry matter contents in the lower DM content level ranges from 34.1 % and 34.7 % and in the higher content level from 47.8 % to 52.5 %.

Particle size distribution (V-Max drum)

The results of the particle size distribution test (using the V-Max drum) are shown in Figures 9 and 10. The graph shows clearly that preselecting a different length of cut on the forager has a clear effect on the chop length distribution in the harvested material. Changes in the settings on the forager result in significant shifts in the weight fractions of the different sieve fractions in the desired direction.